One of David Cameron’s former legal advisers was accused yesterday of trying to discourage a Labour MP from naming Lord Brittan over child abuse allegations.
Simon Danczuk, the campaigning Rochdale MP, claimed Sir Edward Garnier spoke to him before he was due to give evidence to a committee of MPs this summer.
Mr Danczuk said Sir Edward – who was Solicitor General from 2010 to 2012 – said that ‘challenging Lord Brittan on child abuse would not be a wise move’.
The MP made the claims in a Commons debate under Parliamentary privilege, meaning he cannot be sued for libel or face other legal action over what he said.
The debate, about the progress of the Government’s overarching inquiry into the handling of child sex abuse allegations by public bodies, also heard from Tory MP Zac Goldsmith who repeated claims that a former Cabinet minister was photographed with a naked boy in the sauna of a guesthouse at the centre of historic child sex abuse allegations.
Mr Danczuk told MPs: ‘Earlier this year I told the Home Affairs Select Committee that a dossier containing allegations about child abuse by politicians had been handed by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens to the then home secretary Leon Brittan.'
'This revelation helped lead to the Wanless/Whittam review and to the establishment of the overarching inquiry. But not everyone was pleased with the idea that I might challenge Lord Brittan.'
‘The night before my appearance at the committee I had an encounter with the right honourable learned member for Harborough [Edward Garnier].
After the 10pm vote he drew me to one side outside the chamber and warned me to think very carefully about what I was going to say the following day. He told me that challenging Lord Brittan on child abuse would not be a wise move and that I might even be responsible for his death as he was unwell.'
'I understand people are cautious about naming parliamentarians but I do think that people who might know about child abuse allegations should answer questions whatever their position. We should not shy away from that.’
Leon Brittan was Home Secretary from 1983 to 1985, and Mr Danczuk claims that at the time he was sent a dossier of allegations by Mr Dickens about paedophiles ‘operating and networking within and around Westminster’.
The dossier has never been recovered despite a Home Office inquiry into historic files. The issue will form part of the overarching abuse inquiry which was commissioned by ministers in the summer.
In yesterday’s debate Mr Goldsmith claimed that a child protection campaigner had been told by one of the owners of the Elm Guest House, Carol Kasir, that she had photographs of ‘establishment figures’ at the hotel where boys in care had been ‘brought in for sex’. One picture allegedly showed a former Cabinet minister in the sauna with a naked boy, Mr Goldsmith said.
But the evidence, along with logbooks, names, times, dates and photographs of Mrs Kasir’s customers simply disappeared after a 1982 police raid on the guesthouse.
Mr Goldsmith added: ‘There can no longer be any doubt at all that powerful people have done terrible things and that they have been protected by the establishment.’
Mr Danczuk said earlier: ‘We now know that from at least the 1970s up to the present day there have been people in positions of power who have sexually abused children. Not only this, there have been powerful people willing to cover up this abuse and obstruct justice.’
Sir Edward declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail yesterday.
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| Simon Danczuk, Rochdale MP Leading charge to 'out' VIP pedophile ring |
Mr Danczuk said Sir Edward – who was Solicitor General from 2010 to 2012 – said that ‘challenging Lord Brittan on child abuse would not be a wise move’.
The MP made the claims in a Commons debate under Parliamentary privilege, meaning he cannot be sued for libel or face other legal action over what he said.
The debate, about the progress of the Government’s overarching inquiry into the handling of child sex abuse allegations by public bodies, also heard from Tory MP Zac Goldsmith who repeated claims that a former Cabinet minister was photographed with a naked boy in the sauna of a guesthouse at the centre of historic child sex abuse allegations.
Mr Danczuk told MPs: ‘Earlier this year I told the Home Affairs Select Committee that a dossier containing allegations about child abuse by politicians had been handed by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens to the then home secretary Leon Brittan.'
'This revelation helped lead to the Wanless/Whittam review and to the establishment of the overarching inquiry. But not everyone was pleased with the idea that I might challenge Lord Brittan.'
‘The night before my appearance at the committee I had an encounter with the right honourable learned member for Harborough [Edward Garnier].
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| Sir Edward Garnier |
'I understand people are cautious about naming parliamentarians but I do think that people who might know about child abuse allegations should answer questions whatever their position. We should not shy away from that.’
Leon Brittan was Home Secretary from 1983 to 1985, and Mr Danczuk claims that at the time he was sent a dossier of allegations by Mr Dickens about paedophiles ‘operating and networking within and around Westminster’.
The dossier has never been recovered despite a Home Office inquiry into historic files. The issue will form part of the overarching abuse inquiry which was commissioned by ministers in the summer.
 |
| Sir Leon Brittan photographed with naked boy at Elm House |
But the evidence, along with logbooks, names, times, dates and photographs of Mrs Kasir’s customers simply disappeared after a 1982 police raid on the guesthouse.
Mr Goldsmith added: ‘There can no longer be any doubt at all that powerful people have done terrible things and that they have been protected by the establishment.’
Mr Danczuk said earlier: ‘We now know that from at least the 1970s up to the present day there have been people in positions of power who have sexually abused children. Not only this, there have been powerful people willing to cover up this abuse and obstruct justice.’
Sir Edward declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail yesterday.
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